Lord Byng Secondary

(PRINT) Student Name: ______________________ Student #: ______________________ English Teacher & Block: ______________

PLAGIARISM and CHEATING: WHAT IT IS AND WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF YOU DO IT Dear Lord Byng Student and Parent/Guardian, Important: Here at Lord Byng, we pride ourselves not only on achievement, but upon effort and good citizenship. Plagiarism and Cheating go against all that educators here at Byng and elsewhere hold important. As a student and citizen of the school and community, it is your responsibility to pursue your learning in an honorable way. We cannot stress enough that cheating and plagiarism are very serious offences. Although this sheet is being distributed in English classes, students and their parents/guardians need to understand that the policies around plagiarism and cheating and their ramifications extend to all subjects and grade levels throughout the school. PLAGIARISM DEFINED Cheating is cheating, but what is plagiarism? Plagiarism is theft. It is the stealing of another person's words or ideas. This means that paraphrasing (in other words, rearranging printed or other material, such as that on the Internet, and putting it into your own words) is still plagiarism. Plagiarism is a type of cheating, though not all cheating is plagiarism. It is also plagiarism if you copy another persons diagram, picture, or visual and do not acknowledge its creator. It is also plagiarism to take someones concept or idea and promote it as your own. In short, plagiarism is the using of material which has been obtained from a source (written, verbal, or visual) and not acknowledging that source. Plagiarism is, therefore, not only theft, it is the production and promotion of a lie. HOW TO AVOID PLAGIARISM You must cite your sources. This does not make you look like you dont know anything, it makes you look like you can gather material and connect the dots, thereby creating proof which supports your thesis (your central idea). It shows us you are thorough and scholarly. HOW TO CITE YOUR SOURCES There are many resources available which explain how to cite your sources and the format that your citations must be in. If you do not have a writers handbook, this information is available on the internet. The MLA Handbook is a strongly recommended format guide. Your teacher will provide you with a format sheet and/or direct you to an online source. Remember to include a works cited page and/or a bibliography (ask your instructor which is required, or if both are needed). The school Librarian is also available to help you prepare documentation.

A works cited page - includes all the materials from which you have made quotations or

paraphrased; the sources from which you have cited. A bibliography - includes all the books or sources which you have read in preparation for your writing, including those found on the works cited page.

Consult the MLA Handbook or any source which provides the MLA format and/or a format sheet provided by your instructor to ensure that you have accurately included all the needed details and followed the format requirements. IMPORTANT: Ensuring that you have accurately cited and documented sources is your responsibility. ALL courses at Lord Byng adhere to these expectations, but the formats may vary: Check with your teachers. (For example, Science may want something different from Social Studies and Social Studies may require something different from English) Plagiarism in ANY course is viewed as a serious offence. you I didnt know is NOT an excuse for plagiarism; in fact, there is no excuse for plagiarism. If help someone plagiarize, each of you is guilty; this is also true in the case of cheating. THE PENALTIES for PLAGIARISM and/or CHEATING If plagiarism is suspected, the questionable work may be brought to the Dept. Head before being taken to the principal and/or the vice-principal.

If the work in question is deemed to be suspect, the student(s) who has/have plagiarized &/or cheated will receive a ZERO on the assignment. No other assignment will be given for the student to try and make up the marks lost. may receive a notation of the offence in his/her discipline file. may no longer be eligible for awards and/or scholarships and/or bursaries as good citizenship is a key component of such awards as well as scholarly achievement. may receive other consequences as set down by the administration depending on the nature and frequency of the offence. I _______________________ have read and understood the definitions and consequences of (print student name) plagiarism. Signature: ____________________________ and date _______________ , 20__ I/We _______________________ have read and understood the definitions and consequences plagiarism. Parent/Guardian signature:________________________________ . Date: __________________________ , 20__. IMPORTANT: Forms are due on or before the date specified by the student's English teacher.

Sincerely,

Annette Vey-Chilton, Principal